Billy Bob Thornton to return to directing and ‘Bad Santa’

Billy Bob Thornton is set to return to directing after confessing lead roles are drying up for him.

The Oscar winner admits his movie star days might be behind him after struggling to find meaty roles following a two-year hiatus from Hollywood, and so he’s stepping back behind a camera for the first time in almost a decade.

The star tells Deadline.com, “My old writing partner Tom Epperson and I just wrote another script, we haven’t written together in years, 15 maybe. And we’re hoping to get that made in the spring, that’s what we’re working on right now.”

Thornton is also hoping to reprise his “Bad Santa” role for a sequel.

He adds, “‘Bad Santa’s’ become like a classic Christmas movie. People watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and ‘Miracle on 34th St and Bad Santa.’

“There’s been talk of making a sequel to it, which I actually would like to do. I’ve never done a sequel to one of my movies, but that one makes sense to me to do it.”